Fate: Trinity Order
by Mugen no Tenma
Summary: One speaks of Promise. One speaks of Protection. One speaks of Survival. Out of many, only three are chosen. However, the Incineration of Humanity draws near, and time is not on their side. Can they overcome the odds against them, or will they succumb to the nigh-omnipotent might of their adversary? Only time will tell.
1. Reunion

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**Top of the morning to you guys! My name is Mugen no Tenma, and welcome to my new fic! Hopefully, this one will be good enough read.**

**Note before you start reading: Although this fic was focused on my OC, Ritsuka Fujimaru A.K.A the "Canon Master" won't be replaced. It's called "Trinity Order" because it will be three Masters that will be the focus of this fic.**

**Enjoy. **

* * *

**Fate: Trinity Order**

**Chapter 1**

"**Reunion"**

It's a beautiful day outside.

Birds are singing…

Flowers are blooming…

On days like this, kids like him should be—

… Freezing, obviously. This is Antartica. A place of coldness and death. What are you expecting here?

A young man calmly walks through a corridor. The corridor was almost monotone in color, being bluish-white and nothing else. He passes by a symbol on the wall, a crescent moon being surrounded by another crescent, but decorated by leaves. He glances upon it for a second. It was the symbol of…

Chaldea.

Chaldea is a laboratory-observatory that recruits talented scientists and magi for the purpose of observing both the magical and scientific aspects of the world. It was created and founded by Marisbury Animusphere, the former head of Animusphere Family, at year 2004.

They have but a single goal, that is to 'preserve the reign of the Human Order, above all else.' Chaldea may be a research and observation organization, but the internal management is more befitting of a military organization.

The young man sighes as he proceeds through the corridor. It seems to be almost empty, no personnel in sight. There's not even any security guards standing by. What if there's an intruder? He shook his head dismissively, maybe there are some safety wards placed here and there that he didn't know.

He arrives in the front of the Director's Room. He took a deep breath, then tidies up his hair and clothes, taking extra care to make them as neat as possible. After all, this was their first meeting after so many years passed. He has to show her how much he had grown after his intense studying and training.

"Here goes nothin' I guess…"

He swiftly swiped his ID card on the identification scanner. It reads, 'Glenn Reinhart McLoughlin' as it glows green. Then the automatic door opens smoothly.

Glenn entered the room with slow and calm steps, as not to falsely alert whoever was in there. He didn't utter a single word, even as he saw a young woman stand behind her desk across the room with her hands folded. Having her white hair in an aristocratic bun, wearing a fancy clothes of black, orange, and white… that's her, he's not mistaking her for anyone else.

"Hello, Mr. Reinhart." The young woman greets him professionally. He always forgets that she's almost as tall as he is, which says a lot regarding that he was slightly taller than any average male his age. "Thank you for accepting our offer to here at Chaldea. Now we're here to discuss the terms of our—"

"Well? It's been a while, isn't it, Olga?"

Glenn interrupted her quietly with a professional smile of his own. That, and with his slightly distinct Irish accent. The young woman, Olga simply shrugged her shoulder, and Glenn nodded in understanding.

"Ah sure. Look at you, now an illustrious Director of Chaldea. That's a lotta responsibilities, I gotta say."

Olga, or more aptly named Olga Marie Animusphere, is the current Director of Chaldea at the age of eighteen. After the death of the previous Director, her father Marisbury, and with no one else to inherit his title, young Olga stepped up to her current position and assumes authority over all the Chaldea.

It has been three years since that. Glenn only heard the news, and had been worried since.

"Please do not start ramb—" Olga tries to stop him, but...

"Are you okay with that? No offense, but aren't you too young for that position?" Glenn cut her off casually. "I imagine people would brush you off as an inexperienced leader, underestimate you, and talk behind your back about your mistakes…"

"It is not like—" Olga spoke, demanding that her words would be heard. However…

"But enough with that, Olga. Don't think about that too much. Just ignore those idiots." And just like that, he interrupted her again. "I mean, under pressure like that, I would be more worried about your health in general. For example—"

"Stop—"

"Are you eatin' well?"

"Hey—"

"No vomitin'? Eatin' medicines from the nearest doctor?"

"Don't—"

"Now that I've seen you up close, you don't look as fat as I would expe—"

An angry vein just popped on Olga's temple.

"GLENN!"

Olga frustratedly pound her fists to her desk, loud enough to stop Glenn from talking incessantly. Glenn blinked, staring at the young woman's flustered face innocently for a few seconds before clearing his throat. He had the decency to look slightly guilty as the young woman shot him a glare.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I'm ramblin' again. Sorry, my bad habit." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "It's just that I'm glad to see you again. It's been four years since we last saw each other… right, Olga? I guess we have so much to talk about… you know, catchin' up for all the time we're away from each other?"

Olga sighed and turns away, pointing at one lone chair in front of her desk without looking at him.

"Whatever. Just… sit down and we'll talk." She said with commanding tone, glancing subtly at him.

"Yes, Ma'am." Glenn did a mocking salute before sitting on the aforementioned chair. "Man, you're as feisty as I remember. Never change."

Silence for a few seconds. Now that the official atmosphere has been ruined, it was all awkward for her. For all her studying and learning how to behaving around people, to put a temporary mask on her fragile self, to put a pretense… she doesn't actually know what to do right now. Her manners, all forgotten.

Her education didn't teach her how to act around someone that she haven't met for few years. Nor she knows how to react to everything about him. Yes, at first glance, somehow she immediately recognized him, but boy did he change so much. Was there that _much_ bulk on her childhood friend? His muscle…

She tried her hardest not to look at those, knowing that he would never let her live it down. So she tried to look at something else—his dark red hair had grown, almost resembling a mane… and his brilliant blue eyes had become sharper than the last time she'd seen—_no, that's not it, Olga! Focus now!_

With a huff, Olga sat down on her own chair.

"So, how are you doin'?" Glenn casually asks, putting one arm onto the armrest. "Havin' fun here?"

"I'm not here to have fun, Glenn." Olga says flatly. "This is my duty, and I have to be serious about it. In case you didn't know, I'm now the head of Animusphere Family. A Magus Family, Glenn. There is no way I'm going to mess around with my responsibilities now."

"That's bullshit." Glenn shook his head. "You gotta enjoy your life, Olga. I mean, you know you can have a break once in a while. Would it hurt to get a holiday or two? You're killin' yourself here, buddy…"

"I can't do that. There are so much things to take care of, Glenn. And I'm the one responsible for them."

"Is that why you invited me here? To help you with all those things?" Glenn raised his eyebrows. "Why, after four years, the first contact we do is something so formal and professional? You've never even answered my call. You've never replied to my messages either! I was _so _worried! Jeez, I thought you were busy with some random boyfr—"

He stopped as Olga held up one hand, stopping him from speaking further.

"Yeah, urgh, listen… please, can I have your attention for a moment? Don't ramble." Olga says as she massages her forehead, already feeling headaches. "I'm _very_ sure you already knew this, but I have to make this official. _Please listen_. My name is Olga-Marie Animusphere of the Animusphere Family, and I am the Head Director of the Organization for the Preservation of Human Order, Finis Chaldea, or simply Chaldea for short."

She said almost word-for-word from the paper she put inside her locker under the table with utmost seriousness. However, Glenn had none of that. He even went as far as making _very annoying _mocking gestures, emulating someone talking with his hand. Another angry vein popped on Olga's temples.

"… can I just call you Olgamally, just for old times' sake?"

Almost immediately after he said that, Olga leans forward and throws her right punch at him…

"Jerk!"

… but since he was expecting retaliation from her anyway, he's already a step ahead of her. He parried her punch with his palm, not flinching at the impact in the slightest.

"Whoa, have you been workin' out, Olga?" He asks her, and she responds with another punch. "… you're really putting some power behind those punches… you've been hittin' a gym, haven't you?"

His questions went unanswered as Olga leans back onto her seat, having been satisfied by her own attempts. Back then, he always mocked her for being a 'squishy mage' and being a major potato couch. Maybe she didn't show it, but she was glad that her endeavor was somewhat approved by him.

Yes, she even built herself a gym in the North Ward of Chaldea. She'd kept going on about beating the crap out of a certain someone one day and wipe the smug smirk off his face. The good doctor would know that, since he was the one supervising her workout…

"Shut up." She says, folding her arms over her chest again. "You're ruining my speech here…"

"Hey, I'm not the one punchin' people for no reason, you know." Glenn shrugged. "Why don't you continue your speech then? The Director of Chaldea shouldn't get distracted by such trivial things…"

That one earned him a light Gandr shot aimed at his face, but he narrowly dodged it. Still smirking.

Of course, knowing her from childhood, he knows how short her temper was and _will _always try to push her buttons just for the hell of it. He always enjoyed riling her up, more often than not with a smug smirk on his face. Her face grows red as she tried to shot another Gandr at him and missed.

"I shall object you to disciplinary measures if you keep this up, _ruffian_."

"Disciplinary measures? Ooh, I'm into that…" His smirk just went wider, and Olga realizes her mistake. "Spank me hard, Mommy…"

If anyone think Olga's face couldn't be any redder, they couldn't be more wrong. She almost looks like a ripe tomato—

"SHUT UP!"

Another Gandr shot, this time nailed him in the face and knocked him over to the floor _with _the chair.

A few moments later…

"I'm not even sorry for that."

She says even as she helps him get up from the floor.

"Yeah, I kinda deserved that." Glenn chuckled as he accepted Olga's hand.

"Who's in his right mind would make a dirty joke in his first meeting with someone he hasn't met for years?" Olga lets out an exasperated sigh as she lifts him up. "What are you even trying to pull here?"

"That's me. Only me." Glenn made another chuckle. "I'm just tryin' to break the ice, y' know? You look kinda stiff, so I figured out you've been stressed out, and I decided to help out…"

"… you can see it?"

"I mean, yeah, I'd be a failure of a friend if I can't see that my friend was hurtin'. Are you relieved now?"

It was sweet of him to care about her, it really was. She forgot that he can be very observative as he was oblivious. Well, aside from his trolling behavior, he's always sweet and caring, but that one just made her somewhat feel warm inside.

"Oh, I don't know. You'll just add up to my stress if you keep this up. What are you trying to do is just inadequate." Yet, the words that came out of her mouth just sounded obnoxious.

"Well, I'm no therapist, so excuse me if I can't comfort you properly, _princess_." Glenn just shrugged, and boy she was relieved that he didn't seem offended—_wait, princess? He's using my old nickname!_

"Now that I'm here, I'll be makin' sure you're not takin' more than you can handle." Glenn smiles at her, and this was a genuine smile, not a smirk or anything less. "But, I guess you particularly want me to participate in your operation? To be a Master Candidate or something? I knew you mentioned that in the letter you sent me… I didn't get much from that, but that's the gist, right?"

"I'm honestly surprised that you even read my letter." Olga deadpanned.

"Hey now, that's just rude." Glenn pretends to pout in irritation.

"That's just how you are." Olga retorts, slightly smirking.

"Fair enough. Now tell me what the operation's really about, and keep it short, okay?"

"Don't tell me what to do. But I suppose I'll allow it just this time…"

Olga then proceeds to brief him on the operation. Olga spends almost half an hour to explain everything that should be known in this operation, without giving Glenn any time to digest or ask any question in between her textbook speech. He tried raising his hand to make her pause for a little bit, however…

He just sighed and resigns to his fate. He gave up on comprehending Olga's droning speech, and took as much as he could from her speech… which barely sufficient to understand everything. As Olga finished her lecture, she gave him this expression that practically told him to recount everything in detail.

"So… basically… you have fourty eight people who serve as "Master Candidate" in six teams, eight in one each." Glenn recounted Olga's explanation calmly. "Those teams are to be sent in a certain event in a certain timeline that would inevitably trigger the extinction of humanity…. This event occurred in the newly-manifested "unobservable locale" of Fuyuki City in 2004, otherwise known as "Singularity F."

"Yes… do you get it now?"

"Nah. You still lost me." Glenn shook his head. "How the fookin' hell do you even travel to another place and another time? How in the glistening Wizard Marshall's beard do you even time travel? … does it involve some alchemy-produced weeds?"

Olga facepalms.

"You didn't even listen to my explanation about LAPLACE, CHALDEAS and SHEBA, did you?" She groans softly.

"Err… I did hear some complicated names, but I still don't get it…" Glenn scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Why did I even bother explain them to you…" Olga started to massage her forehead, already feeling her headache's return. "Seriously Glenn… you are a Magus. Act like one, wouldn't you?"

"Well, you know… I'm just someone with hands-on way of doing things, I do things better in practice than theory. Never bothered reading books too much." Glenn chuckled nervously. "My mentor never told me to read too much… just train my skills everyday…"

A massive sigh from Olga. She stares silently at Glenn.

"But, if it makes you feel better, I know we're going to summon cool spirits from the past, with the help of FATE or something." Glenn hastily added, to dissuade his childhood friend's temper. "Heroic System Summoning Spirit, isn't it? It sounds so cool already!"

"First off, it's Heroic Spirit Summoning System. You got it wrong." Olga shook her head. "Your words couldn't be more blunt… but yes, you're right."

"… listen, can you just give me a short version of everything you just said?"

"Fine, fine." Olga let out another sigh. "In layman's terms, we're going to time travel to Fuyuki City in 2004, all of the fourty eight Master Candidates would summon their own Heroic Spirits, called Servants, who would then assist the Masters to rectify the Singularity. That's about it."

"That's surprisingly simple." Glenn put his hand under his chin. "I understand now."

"Yes, Glenn… you can relax for now. But…" Olga smirks deviously. "Now that you're here, I'm going to drill everything that you should know in this facility into your head. Whether you want it or not."

"Oh, god…"

"That's your fault for not doing your homework." Olga folded her arms over her chest, looking at Glenn sternly. "Look, Glenn. I will take my time to teach you about everything here, no matter how bad you might be in listening."

"I'll be looking forward to that." Glenn calmly nodded.

"No, you can never escape as long as you're—wait, what?"

"I said, I'll be looking forward to that." Glenn repeated. "What's wrong?"

"I—I thought you don't want to listen to my lecture…" Olga started to get flustered. "A—are you messing with me?!"

"No, that's just a little price to pay to be on your side."

"Wha—?!"

"Hey, your father made me promise that. Don't worry about it." Glenn smiled. "By the way, which team I'm on?"

Olga's pale face was growing redder and redder with passing seconds. Glenn notices this, but since she would only react violently if he points it out, he remains silent. He waits patiently for her to regain her composure and answer his question.

"Team B. The secondary team." Olga clears her throat. "No offense, Glenn, but you… don't have enough… relevance… to be in Team A."

"Oooh. I'm not elite enough, apparently."

"I'm sorry…" Olga seems genuinely upset. "It's not like you're not important enough, but…"

"Nah, it's okay."

He's cool with that. He's not one of those stuck-up noble magus family members. So what if he's not one of the elite member? As long as he's with Olga, he's perfectly fine. As far as their relationship in the past went, nothing could go wrong as long as they are together. He knows this to be true.

"But Olga, you're with me, right?" He asks with a smile. "Eh, what am I saying? You'll definitely go with me, yeah?"

"Uh… no." Olga shook her head.

Silence. Glenn's smile fades slowly.

"… what." Glenn deadpanned. "Tell me you're jokin'."

"Yes, Glenn… I'm with Team A." Olga speak slowly. "I have to be there to escort the Wodime family's representative. It would look really bad if I go with Team B…"

Silence again.

"YOU GOTTA BE KIDDIN' ME!"

… Olga sweatdropped.

"I DON'T EVEN KNOW ANYONE IN TEAM B! FOOKIN' HELL!"

* * *

-_Tomorrow morning_-

He was a bit miffed. He was waiting for his chance to reunite with his childhood friend, but now that he does have his chance, it was on professional terms. After his short conversation with Olga, he was immediately sent away by her, the reason being she was busy preparing for the eventual mission.

Glenn's annoyance was quickly forgotten as he comes across a pleasant surprise that waits for him outside of his room. His new room in Chaldea, that is.

"Um… good morning…"

In front of his door stands a girl with neck-length light purple hair with monstrously long bangs that hide her glasses, allowing only her left eye, which also purple, though a richer shade of it. On her right shoulder, perks a _very _long haired pet that is clearly not a species indigenous to _any _normal animal.

It looks vaguely like a white-furred cat, though. But it seems to be judging him with unusually intelligent eyes. He's admittedly a cat person, and personally the little guy looks exotic to him. That aside…

"Top of the morning to ya' lady..." Glenn waved one hand to her, smiling. "… and who are you?"

No one in Ireland ever speaks 'top of the morning to ya' nowadays, and if you do, you'll be sent weird looks by everyone that heard you. It just gives off impression like someone that tries too hard to sound Irish. Glenn knows that, but that's kinda his way to break the tension when he meets new people.

"Ah—my name is Mash Kyrielight." The girl nods to him politely. "The Director sent me here to get you accustomed to Chaldea. Um… It's nice to meet you… Mr. Reinhart."

Mash Kyrielight, eh? A peculiar name indeed, but for a very strange reason, he finds it cute.

The girl is already very pleasing to eye. She has on a white hoodie jacket with gray sleeves and bottoms, and what she wears is certainly unique. A sleeveless black pleated dress shirt with a folded white collar, adorned with a red two dark gray diamonds intersecting one another along the bottom.

Glenn sees no sign of pants or dress _or_ skirt, even—she only has black pantyhose on, with a high-fiber content that makes it very dense and dark. Her fashion sense is uncommon—but all in all, he likes what he sees. This Mash girl is interesting.

"So Olga sent you here, instead of coming here herself and give me a tour of this place. Good grief…" Glenn shook his head, slightly disappointed. "But nevermind that. Nice to meet you too, Mash."

"Y—yes, Mr. Reinhart, sir… Or is it Mr. McLoughlin? Or…"

Glenn raised his eyebrows.

"Just call me Glenn. Don't be so formal. Also I'm not that old."

The girl looks away for a few seconds, seemingly shy. Glenn wonders why. There could only be two possibilities. One, the girl just had a crush towards him in the first sight… nah, fat chance of that. Two, she was a socially awkward person that seldom talks with other people… that sounds more plausible.

"O—okay, Glenn-senpai."

"… 'senpai'?" Glenn hummed quizzically. "Since when was I your upperclassman?"

Yeah, he knows Japanese and some of their cultures from his mentor. And there's nothing wrong with calling someone by that. It just sounds weird when someone who you'd just met called you that. And he never actually had any formal education on his part, so he can't be called that, technically.

"Ah! I'm sorry!" Mash puts her hand over her mouth. "It's just a bad habit of addressing anyone I just met…"

"Bad habit, huh?" Glenn tilts his head slightly. "Nah, you can call me 'senpai' if you want to. I don't mind at all."

"T—thank you very much, Glenn-senpai!"

Mash sounds way too happy about that.

"Don't sweat it. If you don't mind me asking, though… are you fluent, Mash?"

"Eh?"

"At Japanese, I mean."

"As a matter of fact, yes, I am fluent, Glenn-senpai. The Doctor taught me." She says. "Um… speaking of which, you… are not Japanese, right? I mean, obviously, your name says it all, but… you sound like you're familiar with Japanese culture."

"Yeah, I'm Irish-German. As far as I knew, I have no Japanese relatives, but…" Glenn nods, still smiling. "I can speak Irish, German, English, and Japanese. My Japanese mentor kinda taught me that last one, and then some. I guess being multilingual is not that bad..."

"Oooh…" Mash gives off a voice that sounds genuinely impressed. Not many people nowadays can make that kind of voice without sounding pretentious or obnoxious. "That's—that's amazing, Glenn-senpai. I can see you are a talented person!"

"Meh, it's nothing special, but thanks anyway." Glenn shrugged, although her compliment was so genuine he can't help but feel happy inside. "Now then… are we going to just stand here all day or are we going to look around Chaldea?"

"Ah, yes! I almost forgot! I'm sorry!"

Glenn chuckled.

"It's fine, Mash. Lemme just clean up first, give me a minute…"

* * *

"This is the Cafeteria, Glenn-senpai."

Mash cheerfully declared as she and Glenn (and that white cat-like thing on Mash's shoulder) arrived at the first stop of their tour around Chaldea. It was a large cafeteria with each table for four people, Glenn observed, that it can possibly fit one hundred person in capacity.

He can see some Chaldea staff sitting and chatting with their peers, some eating and some just chilling on their seats. He could imagine how hard the cook would have to work if the cafeteria was full… he could say that he was a decent enough in cooking, but it was never his passion in life to cook for others.

Don't get him wrong, he'd understand if someone makes excellent cooking and makes that their utmost passion, to see the smile of their patrons as they feast upon their cookings. Hell, maybe he will meet someone like that in Chaldea soon... after all, this is the place where the talented ones gather, right?

"So much space in here, I must say." He commented. "Are you guys sure you didn't make this place too big for yourselves?"

"Well, from what I've heard, it was designed on purpose to accommodate many people." Mash replied politely. "As for now, it will fit fourty-eight Masters and maybe their Servants, so I wouldn't say this was exorbitant, Glenn-senpai."

"I guess that's true." Glenn nods. "Anything else that I must know in here?"

"As in, what?"

"I mean the menu! Duh! What do people ask for in a cafeteria?" Glenn points with his thumb at the kitchen across the large room eagerly, slightly surprising Mash. "Do they have cake and cookies here? Also, Pizza! I love Pizzas! This place won't be a good cafeteria without Pizzas! Tell me they have them!"

"Ah… I see…" Mash seems to be taken aback by Glenn's sudden. "Of course… of course we have these here…"

"Duuude! That's awesome! My respect for this place just went up one hundred percent!" Glenn giggled like an excited kid. "Oooh! This place is the best!"

"O… okay…" Mash doesn't seem to know how to properly respond to that, but smiles nonetheless. "I'm glad you like this place already…"

"Anyway! I'll be visiting this place often, and you might have to accompany me since Olga doesn't like eating too much!" Glenn just went on. "I can imagine her response. 'I will be fat', she said… 'too much junkfood', she said… 'my diet won't accept this', she said… that girl never does what she wants in life!"

He just stands there with his hand on his hips, doing the best of his Olga impression… which is actually so bad, but for some reason, Mash finds his behavior funny and somewhat endearing. He's being a bit loud and chatty, but it's not really obnoxious… at least for her. This was a new experience for her.

"I've been meaning to ask…" She starts, causing Glenn to stop his rant. "Director Olga speaks highly of you… which is a bit unusual. You knew Director Olga personally, Glenn-senpai?"

"Hmm…"

"I—if you don't want to answer it, it's fine… I'm just curious…"

"Nah, I'll answer it."

Mash perked up.

"Well… we're friends since we're kids." Glenn answers. "Her father Marisbury found me in the streets and adopted me for some reason that I never knew, and now that he's gone, I most likely never will. Long story short, I and Olga grew up together… until we parted few years ago."

"Oooh…" There it is, Mash once again gives off a voice that sounds genuinely impressed. "I… I don't know much about familial bonds, to be honest… but basically, you and the Director are like siblings, right? Like brother and sister in all but blood! I've read something like that in a book before…"

Glenn paused for a few moments. He decided not to go too far into this topic.

"Well yeah, you could say that." He said. "But it's nothing special, really. Why are you so worked up about this?"

Mash blushes in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, Glenn-senpai… it's just, I never heard Director Olga spoke highly of anyone before, except the previous Director and Professor Lev." Mash straightens her glasses, which was slightly tilted before inher enthusiasm. "And… this is the first time I've heard of a relationship like you and Director's… it's like—"

"Before you say it, it's not like we're together-together or anythin'." Glenn quickly cut her off.

"I didn't mean to imply something like that, Glenn-senpai…" Mash blinked in surprise.

"Oh? You don't? Oh thank god, you're not one of those people…" Glenn sighed in relief. "I'm slightly older than her, so I used to look after her in her father's stead… Marisbury was a busy man. However, from other people's perspective—the ones that knew I'm not actually from the family of Animusphere— they jumped to conclusion and spread the rumor that our relationship was more than that. Honestly, it sucks ass! Olga always acts weird and avoids me when people look at us funny, and it makes it harder for me to look after her. I hope you understand that…"

"I understand, Glenn-senpai." Mash nods her head. "… but you do care for her, don't you?"

Glenn suddenly turns to her, and Mash thought she just stepped on a landmine. However, when he talks, his voice was gentle, yet it was full of determination.

"Yes I do, Mash. That's why I'm here." Glenn said, and Mash can feel the resolve in his voice. "I've finished my Magus training… I'm not some greenhorn that can only stand by and watch helplessly. Not anymore. Now I'm here to help Olga out—and keep her from any possible danger."

Silence for a bit.

"That's quite a speech, Glenn-senpai." Mash commented, again with genuine respect and impression in her voice.

"It's nothing, really. That's just how I really feel…" Glenn shrugged. "Eh, doesn't matter. If we're finished here, why don't we move on to the next place?"

Mash smiles. She just learned some new things from a stranger she just met and spoke with… but it was really exciting to learn new things, just like the good Doctor said! And this person was nice, she wonders if all the people from the outside world were as nice as Glenn… she can't wait to find out!

"Alright… we're going to the Library now, Glenn-senpai!"

Contrary to Mash's cheerful voice, Glenn's shoulders suddenly drooped.

"Library? Really? Ah great, I hate fookin' Libraries…"

Mash sweatdropped.

* * *

**_Thank you so much for reading this chapter!_**

**_ If you liked it, PUNCH THE REVIEW BUTTON_ IN THE FACE! _LIKE A BOSS!_ **

**_And…_ _high fives all around…_ **

**_So thank you guys, and I will see all you dudes…_ _in the next chapter!_**

**_Jackseptice-I mean, Mugen no Tenma, out._**


	2. The Calm Before The Storm

***high-five***

**Top of the morning to you guys, my name is Mugen no Tenma, and welcome back to Fate: Trinity Order!**

**Not going to say too much for this one. It's just a chill chapter, so not much action yet, but please enjoy it!**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**The Calm Before The Storm**

Continuing their tour around Chaldea, Glenn and Mash were still walking on the hallway, on their way to the Library. They can see the door from the other side of the hallway, and Glenn is already feeling bummed. Theoritical studies and textbooks are not his best friend! Totally not!

"Ugh… do we really have to go inside?" Glenn grimaced. "Just imaginin' those books makes me dizzy…"

Mash turned to him, smiling.

"I'm sure it's not that bad, Glenn-senpai…" She said. "It won't take long, I promise."

"Yeah, sure, let's just go in for a minute or two…" Glenn rubbed the back of his head.

"Fou. Fou, fou fou."

The white feline-like animal on Mash's shoulder replied and nodded its head as if it understood their conversation perfectly. Glenn glances at it curiously, silently wondering whether the mysterious creature was actually sapient or not. Considering its stare earlier, which seemed to judge him…

And suddenly, without any warning, the white creature jumped from Mash's shoulder, and immediately latched onto Glenn's face, before making itself comfortable on top of his head. Glenn looks up to it, and for a few seconds, Mash thought that he was going to push the creature away. However…

"Ah." He doesn't seem to be bothered, as he slowly reached up and patted it gently. "Aren't you cute, little one."

"It would seem that Fou has taken a liking to you, Glenn-senpai." Mash commented.

So Fou is the name of that creature.

"It seems so." Glenn nodded, still patting Fou. "Is that weird, by any chance?"

"Not really… Well, I've never seen him approach anyone else aside from me…" Mash explained. "So you might as well be Fou's second favorite person in Chaldea, Glenn-senpai."

"Well, that's nice!" Glenn grinned. "I like you too, little buddy! Let's be friends from now on!"

"Fou!" Fou answered enthusiastically, lifting its paws in agreement.

"Aha! High-five!"

They do exactly that, Glenn's human hands with Fou's tiny paws.

"Haha, I'm glad you two get along so nicely. Good for you." Mash giggled softly. "I have to say, though… you are quite a peculiar person, Glenn-senpai."

"… peculiar?"

Glenn's eyebrow furrowed.

"I—I didn't mean anything weird by that! I mean, you're an unique individual, and there's nothing wrong with that." Mash immediately corrected herself, her cheeks slightly red with embarrassment. "I mean, everyone in Chaldea is amazing in their own way, but, uh… you're kind of different."

"Because I made friend with Fou?" Glenn raised his eyebrow. Fou was also staring at mash quizzically.

"Yes, in a way…" Mash smiled awkwardly. "Fou must've seen something different in you… as I said, Fou never approached anyone the way he does to me… not even the Doctor… and you did it very easily. How do you do it, Glenn-senpai? … um, making friends?"

It does look very strange for her, to see a human being behaved so friendly to anyone and anything he meets. Before this person came, all she had was Chaldea and its personnel. Although by no means they were bad, for her they feel so… distant and alien. Maybe they see her not as a fellow human…

"Well, I just do. A stranger is just a friend you haven't met yet." Glenn smiled. "It does feel difficult to talk to someone you don't know… believe me, I know that feeling. It might be hard at first. But you have to gather your courage and willpower to speak first, otherwise you'll never have any friends!"

"I see… so that's how you make friends…" Mash noted, memorizing every words that Glenn said.

"Don't worry about that, you still can learn how to socialize with people. You're still young! Your bright future is waitin' for you!" Glenn patted her shoulder encouragingly. "I can help you if you want to."

"Um, what?" Mash replied, not sure what he meant.

"If you want I could teach you some stuff to make friends and socializin' in general. Just a little bit of life lesson…" Glenn offered.

"Wait… r—really?" Mash asked again, being genuinely surprised. "You'd do that for me?"

"Sure, that's what friends do." Glenn pointed at himself, then at Mash. "They help each other!"

"… we—we're friends?"

"Well duh! Of course! We've exchanged names and everythin'!" Glenn wanted to roll his eyes, but then remembers that Mash is just an innocent and good-hearted, but a very sheltered girl… so he just opt to chuckle moderately. "Do you need any other reason to be friends? Or have I been walkin' and talkin' this morning with a complete stranger?"

"N… no, but…" Mash spoke nervously as she held a hand up. "W—we just met this morning and we're already friends?"

"Well, we don't have to be if you don't want to. You can just leave me be, actually…" Glenn laughs a bit. "But I figured we get along and all so it might be cool to hang out some more… it's up to you, really."

Silence for a moment. Then Mash mustered her courage and nodded.

"Um… yeah… that sounds like fun." Mash agreed, causing the other to smile.

"Well then, why are you fussin' over it? Fine, if you want to make it official... here."

He held out his hand to her. Mash blinked.

"G—Glenn-senpai?"

"Come on, shake my hand. You know you want to."

Mash looked at Glenn's expectant face. Then at his outstretched hand. Then briefly at Fou (who's oddly giving her encouraging looks) on the top of his head. Then back at Glenn's face again.

"O—okay…"

She sheepishly shook Glenn's hand, and to her surprise, his grip feels a bit too strong. Too strong for a human… yet it doesn't feel like it would crush her hand at any moment. She could tell, for some reason… maybe this person isn't a normal human? It's not like she's a human either, but still… something feels off.

However, his hand was warm just like any other human. She likes it.

"Cool! Alright! Now it's official! You're my friend from now on." Glenn gave her a big smile, distracting Mash from her thoughts. "Let's hang out after the mission, shall we? I'm sure it will be fun!"

Well, Mash Kyrielight is not one to pry too deep into someone else's private matters, so she let it slide without saying anything. She's certain, whoever or whatever Glenn is, he's a nice person. Otherwise why would he behaved so amicably and friendly to her? She feels comfortable with him already.

"Yes, Glenn-senpai! I'd love to!"

They spent more time chatting about trivial things until they arrived before the door of Library. Glenn looked at the door with the kind of stare that would be more suited for staring down an archenemy, before opening the door wide.

"So we meet again, my formidable foes!"

So he declared dramatically as he set his sights on various books on the bookshelves. Mash looks at him in total confusion, doesn't have a clue of what to do in this situation. While Fou, still sitting on the top of his head, gives a look of resignation.

Fortunately, the Library was empty at the moment, even the Librarian was nowhere in sight, so there's no one around to scold him or kick him out.

"Fou, Fou."

"Mash, let's just get this over with…"

"Okay, Glenn-senpai."

* * *

That day, Glenn Reinhart McLoughlin received a grim reminder. He lived in fear of the books, and was disgraced to live in these cages he called Library.

There are so many sections in the Library. In the Thaumaturgy section, it has the books about several modern schools of Magecraft, such as Astrology, Kabbalah, Alchemy, and Shinsendou. Each of them has some distinction that makes them different than the other, but their fundamental basis is actually the same, that is 'to convert Magical Energy inside the user's body to transform the external world'.

There are also the sections about Spellcasting, Incantation, Equivalent Exchange, Thaumaturgical Foundations, Magic Formula, Elements, Thaumaturgical Mechanism, the Rules and Statement of Mage's Association and most importantly, Origins.

There are many other sections, but Glenn is already dead inside (due to too much explanations) that he didn't pay too much attention to that. By the time Mash's Library Tour almost ended, he looks very much like a dried zombie that haven't eaten any flesh for weeks.

"Mash, just end my suffering…"

"Please bear with it for a bit, Glenn-senpai. We're almost done." Mash smiles, the only way she knows. "The Mystic Eyes section is just around the corner. Look, Glenn-senpai, we're almost there…"

Glenn followed Mash with his head hanging, having no intention to read any book in this Library whatsoever. But then, suddenly, something caught his interest. A young woman with light brown hair and elegant black suit was sitting on a rather obscure part of the Library, reading a book intensely. Her right eye was covered by a rather noticeable eye-patch.

"That girl…" Glenn mumbled.

"Ah, she is Miss Ophelia Phamrsolone. One of the Master Candidates like you, Glenn-senpai." Mash informed him, whispering softly that the young woman won't be disturbed in her reading. "She enrolled in Clock Tower… more precisely, in the Spiritual Evocation Faculty."

"You seem to know a lot about her." Glenn said. "You know her personally?"

"Not really… we met once, but it was just her background information I read—"

"Then let's go to her." Glenn declared immediately. "We gotta work on your social skills!"

"Eh?! W—why?!"

He immediately grabbed Mash's arm and drags her towards the young woman.

"Well, now's your chance, Mash!"

"Wait! W—what are you doing?!"

Due to the commotion that the two caused, Ophelia finally looks over her book, only to see Mash unsuccessfully struggling against Glenn's grip as he leads the purple-haired girl over to her reading spot, before letting go. She let out a silent sigh.

"Helloooo! Top of the morning to ya lady!" Glenn said in a cheerful, sing-song voice. "… I believe you two may know each other?" He said as he practically shoved Mash towards Ophelia.

Ophelia took a few seconds before replying. Someone just had to interrupt her reading… she was just getting to the good part…

"… aren't you… the girl that usually helps the Director?" She asks impassionately.

"Uh, yes! My name is Mash! Mash Kyrielight! But you can just call me… uh…" Mash smiles, embarrassed. "Ah… actually, you can just call me Mash."

After a few moments of staring at Mash's nervous eyes, Ophelia went back in her book.

"… okay."

Silence. In response to their awkward predicament, Glenn internally cursed.

_Fook me! It's a socially awkward girl trying to talk to an antisocial girl… this doesn't bode well…_

"What are you doing, Mash?"

He whispers to Mash. The girl fidgets nervously.

"I don't know, Glenn-senpai! Help me!"

She whispers back, but she quickly smiles back to Ophelia. She doesn't know what to say though, so she quickly retreats behind Glenn, who sighs in exasperation.

_I guess I'll help her, just this once…_

"So… what's your name, lady?"

_Look at me, Mash. I'll show you the basics of social interaction!_

In response to that, Ophelia sighed, having distracted from her book once again. She just wants to read her book in peace and quiet… her fellow Master Candidates in Team A are bad enough, even Kirschtaria can be an arrogant prick sometimes, so why she can't have a break for a while? She needs to relax…

"… Ophelia."

"Well, Ophelia, I'm Glenn, Mash's new friend! I like your eyepatch!"

To his chagrin, it only serves to irritate the young woman more than before. He just wanted to say something nice to her, and this is what he got?

"Thanks!" Her sarcastic answer was enough to give him a sign that she doesn't want to be bothered.

"It goes great with your…" However, Glenn doesn't want to give up. "… your suit!"

"Right…" Ophelia deadpanned. She just doesn't give a damn.

Mash laughs uncomfortably. Glenn cleared his throat and speaks with his smoothest voice.

"Nice day, don't you think?"

"Oh yes—it's lovely! Almost as lovely as _this book_!" Ophelia said, sarcasm dripping heavily from her voice as she stared at the two individuals, who still stand in front of her desk. "_This book_ that I will continue to read…"

Glenn and Mash are still standing there, shifting about awkwardly.

"… as soon as you leave!" She finished.

_Goddamnit. _

Glenn shook his head. This girl was a lost cause… but giving up that easily isn't his style. It will take so much more than that to make him surrender. He has **Determination**. His principle of life and his Origin. Being stubborn has never failed him in his life so far, so he will not stop now. Never.

"… what's it about?" He asks.

Ophelia blinks, surprised that this random guy out of nowhere still wants to talk to her.

"Huh?"

"Your book." Glenn pointed at the opened book on the table. "Does it have a name?"

"Well… the name is **Volsunga Saga**… i—it's mostly about the Greatest Hero of Northern Europe, Sigurd."

_Now I gotcha, lady._

"Ah, I knew about that. Now I'll admit I'm not too much into books, but I like stories about heroes and legendary figures… Volsunga Saga is good, but personally…" Glenn paused for a dramatic effect. "Eh, I like **Nibelungenlied** better. I prefer Siegfried over Sigurd. Maybe he's actually the original?"

Would she react like he hoped she would? Should he rouse her for more reaction further?

"I would say that in some points, you're right." Ophelia replied, with a newfound spirit that previously wasn't there. "The Nibelungenlied was recorded in the 5th century as an epic poem, while the Volsung Saga originated within the 13th century. And since Nibelungenlied was recorded as an epic poem around 5th century, it might as well be much older than we think. You could say, Siegfried was the original… but!"

_Oh, this is going __**way **__better than I thought… talk to me some more, lady!_

Glenn grins excitedly.

"… but?"

"I don't think it's fair to compare them." Ophelia shook her head. "In the end, both of them are heroes. The stories about heroes and monsters… now that I have the chance to see them in person… they're one of the reasons I decided to join the mission to save humanity."

Glenn laughs a little. He has to admit that _now _this girl is kind of interesting, changed his mind.

"And why is that? Hopin' you're gonna live happily ever after?"

Ophelia seems to have changed from a mildly indifferent person to a fairly optimistic one.

"Of course. I hope we all will. I admire those heroes in the books and want to become a hero like them… someone who fought for what's right, and protect those who can't protect themselves."

"You're very idealistic for a Magus… it's a rare sight to see nowadays…" Glenn hummed softly, feeling intrigued. "… but you know, unfortunately, the real world isn't the same as the stories we read."

"I'm aware of that. But that's why we're here. To make it better!"

Glenn puts a hand under his chin.

"I see. That doesn't sound so bad…"

"What about you?"

Glenn blinked. Well, he didn't expect her to come up with the idea of asking him in return.

"What about me?"

"You're a Master Candidate too, right? And I can tell you came here with your own volition. You didn't come from the Civilian Applicant." Ophelia asked, now genuinely curious. "What brings you here, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Let's just say… I had a promise to someone." Glenn shrugged, scratching his cheeks. "Eh, how do I put it… she's all I got… the only family I had left. I came here to help her out and keep her safe… whatever it takes. That's all that matters to me."

"Glenn-senpai…"

Mash, who heard about this motive of Glenn before, can't help but mutter his name softly. However, as she was standing behind Glenn, she briefly caught a glimpse of a certain someone who just entered the section they were in, but almost immediately bolted back and hide behind a bookshelf, outside her sight.

She wisely decided to say _absolutely _nothing to inform anyone of this peculiar turn of event. She was more interested in listening to Glenn and Ophelia's conversation anyway. She has to memorize the steps of socializing like Glenn just did! She wants to be as smooth as he is, and she's willing to learn!

"So what matters to you is just a single person..." Ophelia nodded in understanding. "I thought you were that kind of person who speaks of justice and saving innocent lives all the time, but it turns out you're not one of them. That's unexpected."

"Ah, are you disappointed?" Glenn said. "Am I not idealistic enough for your taste?"

"Not really. You're realistic person, I'll give you that." Ophelia gave him a small smile. "I know I said that I like heroes of justice like in those books… but in reality, you can't save everyone. If you try to save too many people… you'll end up losing everyone. Better save one than nothing at all, right?"

Glenn's blue eyes slowly widen. He likes this girl! He likes her style!

"Exactly… You're speakin' my language!"

"Heh, I guess we're more compatible than we thought."

"So, are we cool now?"

"Yes… we're cool."

"Awesome! Let's hang out together sometime after the mission!"

"Well…" Ophelia closed her eye, then smiles slightly. "I suppose it won't hurt."

Silence for exactly two seconds. Then—

"YEAH! Plus one friend! Woohoo!"

Mash can practically feel the positive energy from Glenn… and it's so contagious that she couldn't help but smile and giggle. And Ophelia was not exempt from his influence either—she let out an amused chuckle. Maybe her reading could wait for a bit…

"Well… Glenn, Mash, it's a pleasure to ha—"

Then someone had to interrupt the otherwise heartwarming moment by storming onto the scene like a raging blizzard.

"What in the world is going on here?! It's so loud! Don't you realize this is the Library?"

It's the figure Mash saw earlier, the one that hid itself behind the shelves—

"Well, if it isn't Olgamally…" Glenn deadpanned. "What are you doin' here? Don't you have anythin' better to do?"

"That's my line, you dunce!" Olga responded hotly, her face flushed red for some reason that Glenn doesn't know. "I thought I asked Mash to give you a quick tour around Chaldea!"

"Um—" Mash opened her mouth to interject.

"And she's doin' her job very well. What are you yappin' for?" Glenn replied.

"I didn't ask her to let you flirt with every girl you met!"

Suddenly, Glenn is triggered.

"WHAT ARE YE TALKIN' ABOUT?! I DIDN'T FLIRT WITH ANYONE!"

What he did was an equivalent of pouring a gallon of fresh oil to a spark of flame.

"LIES! Asking a girl to hang out is _DEFINITELY_ not flirting! Do something productive for a change!"

"I'M MAKIN' FRIENDS, NOT FLIRTIN'! HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!"

"NO EXCUSES! YOU'RE COMING WITH ME RIGHT NOW! I'LL GIVE YOU THE TOUR MYSELF!"

"HOW ABOUT NO, YOU SILLY WOMAN?!"

Mash was dumbfounded by this unexpected turn of events. She just stood there as the two individuals shouted at each other, her gaze went back and forth from Glenn to Olga… in this situation, she doesn't have any clue of what to do… meanwhile, Ophelia has a different reaction to this.

She sighs and rolls her eyes, simply reached for her pockets, then pulls out her personal headset and music player, plugs it onto her ears, and ignores the utter insanity that had just started between those two… married couples? Well, nevertheless…

Back in her book she goes.

* * *

-_Chaldea Infirmary, half an hour later_-

"So, she dragged me all around Chaldea while nagging me about so many things I could care less!"

"Ahaha, that is our Director alright. I'm sorry for you."

"I don't know why she was so angry at me…"

"Now, now, I'm sure she'll go back to normal in no time."

Glenn slumped on a patient chair sluggishly while a man in his twenties sat across him in the doctor's seat, his orange hair tied in a ponytail. He was wearing a doctor's coat with green clothes inside. On his desk, there was a plate full of strawberry cakes and chocolate cookies… and beside it, two still-steaming glasses of tea.

"I sure hope so, Doc." Glenn said, sighing. "She's always has a short fuse since we were little, so her being angry at nothin' isn't new to me, but still…"

"Just give her some time. She needs some time to vent her stress." The Doctor said wisely.

"I want to help her get through her stress, though…" Glenn sulks.

"Glenn, is it? Sorry for asking out of nowhere, but are you proficient in massage therapy?"

"Yes, I am. My teacher taught me that along with martial arts… what of it?"

Then, the Doctor's expression turns bright, as if he just found a solution for a serious problem.

"You should offer her a massage then! She always complains about stiff shoulders and sore sides. That can't be good for her health." He said, leaning forward from his seat. "Just ask her while she's off-duty."

"Are you sure she's gonna appreciate that…?" Glenn asks, a bit hesitant.

"Well if it's you, I'm sure she's not going to complain." The Doctor gave him a meaningful look, then turns serious. "After all, I've heard some things about you from Marisbury and Olga herself… no offense, but if you really are the man they spoke of with such good opinions, then it should be no problem."

The red-haired young man perks up.

"… you know Marisbury, Doc?" Glenn asks, his problems forgotten for a moment.

"Ahaha, yeah. We're old acquintances… or something like that." The Doctor chuckled awkwardly. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to bring up such a sore topic…"

"It's fine, Doc. What did he tell you, eh?"

"He told me that you are a determined young man. Very determined." The Doctor puts a hand under his chin, reminiscing of the past. "He picked you up from the streets… somewhere in Dublin, and raised you along with his own daughter. And from what he told me, you're not from any Magus lineage…"

"Yeah. Marisbury is the one who introduced me to the secret world... sorta." Glenn nodded.

"He made you enroll into the Clock Tower… but you were unsuitable with Clock Tower's teaching methods, and dropped out after two years. That's… something." The Doctor let out another awkward chuckle. "Hey, that's not necessarily a bad thing… at least you got to be trained under The Church after that, and passed with flying colors! Marisbury's connection sure came in handy in times like these!"

"He told you a lot, didn't he?" Glenn raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah he did! He also told me how close you are with Olga Marie—" Then the Doctor realized that he said too much. "I mean, the Director! I totally said that, yeah!"

That was a bit too late since now Glenn was eyeing the doctor with suspicious stare.

"… are you sure you're just a medical staff? You seem to know a lot for someone as plain-lookin' as you." Glenn leaned back against his patient chair. "Dr. Romani Archaman, who actually are you? You're not just his acquaintance, are you? Are you his secret brother or what?"

The orange-haired doctor fell silent for a few seconds under Glenn's unrelenting gaze. He wasn't afraid. He simply didn't quite know where to put Glenn. On one hand, he was extremely strong-willed, honest, and charismatic to those he talked to. He's also friendly to some extent.

Romani had testimonies from Mash. She told him everything that had occurred before Olga interrupted them, while the Director was busy dragging the young man to get accustomed to Chaldea herself. Basically, she did what she told Mash to do in her stead. Weird, he knows, but eh, who cares.

Back to topic… from how he spoken to her, Ophelia Phamrsolone, and how he befriended Fou in rapid succession while almost everyone else failed, Romani assumed that this young man has a talent of making friends as easily as breathing. A talent that is very useful and dangerous at the same time.

On the other hand, Glenn had this uncanny presence around him, and just by looking at his eyes, Romani could tell that there's something off. Those eyes… the young man's eyes gives him the feeling of someone that has been alienated by people around him. Yet, nobody else seemed to notice this. Maybe he was the only one who can notice this, judging that he, once, was more than a regular human...

Can he trust him with some of his secrets, though?

"You could say that… I knew him before he founded Chaldea." Romani let out a sigh. "We'd helped each other a lot, I owe him my life… I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him. In fact, one of the many reasons why I became personnel here was to repay him. To keep his life's efforts standing and alive."

He decided to take a risk. Despite the eeriness he felt from the young man, he trusts him.

"Ah! I get it! So basically, you're like me." Glenn pounded his fist into his other palm. "I've come here to fulfill the promise I made with Marisbury… to take care of Olga. To keep her safe no matter what."

"Hm, I get it. I get your motives." Romani nodded in understanding. "Man, that's very admirable."

"I can say the same to you, Doc." Glenn chuckled. "Marisbury is gone, and no one knows what he had done for both of us except us… like, we can literally walk away from all of this and nobody would mind. Yet, here we are, helping his daughter while knowing full well that she might not need us at all…"

"Ah, Glenn, I wouldn't say that." Romani said with a gentle smile on his face. "Olga needs _you_ here. She talked to me about you… _a lot_. You're basically the only family she had left… or rather, the only family she had left that actually _cares_ for her. Now that you're here, please support her. Be on her side always."

Glenn returned his smile, although his smile was slightly tinted with sadness for some reason.

"You don't have to tell me that, Doc." He says. "But thanks for the encouragement, I needed that."

"Ahaha! No problem, I'm glad I can help." The Doctor laughs happily, then handed the young man his plate and glass. "By the way, the tea's almost cold. Why don't you have some of that? Here, we have cakes and cookies as well! Let's dig in!"

"Well, don't mind if I do!"

After a deep conversation, the two men bonded nicely over some sweets and tea.

* * *

-_Chaldea Hallway_-

Glenn was just walking down the hall with relatively better mood than before.

"Heh, that guy's such a nice fella." He said to himself. "No wonder he's the head of Medical Department. Everyone can talk to him about their problems and they'll get better in no time! Also he likes sweets!"

He hummed to no one in particular, wondering if he's going to meet other interesting people today. It's already great, he made three new friends… no, four if he counts Fou as well. That little guy likes him… he should give him something nice to eat next time he see him scampering around.

"Oh, come on, where's the other two candidates?! Update me on them already, Lev!"

That familiar voice echoed in the hallway. Glenn sighs. Of course Olga will still be busy in this hour…

"What?! Are you telling me that you drugged her and dragged her away without her consent?" He saw her walking back and forth while making a conversation via some kind of wireless communicator—obviously, not a phone—with someone on the other side. "… because she asked too many questions?! Just think about what will happen if she called the court! We'll definitely lose the legal case!"

… wait, that sounds illegal. It vaguely gives him an impression of a kidnapper… what is going on here? This Chaldea is a legal organization, right? It surely won't do anything inhumane. He doesn't have high expectation for any Magus, but since this particular Magus was his childhood friend… he trusts her.

"… alright… just send her here while you deal with the other one…" Olga sighs in exasperation. "He's a Magus, so he shouldn't need too much explanation… what?! He's being arrested in the airport because he tried to flirt with the stewardess and the other passengers? Oh, give me a break, Lev!"

Alright, Glenn can already tell what kind of shit Olga has to deal with everyday… now he understands why being a Director of a very large organization was such a pain in the ass. It is mentally tiring for just anyone… but, if anything, it only makes him want to help her out even more now!

As Olga lets out another sigh of exasperation and ended the call, Glenn takes the initiative and taps her in the shoulder without any warning...

"Hey, Ol—"

But it earns him a powerful bitch slap to the face. Of course that doesn't affect him in any way, but…

"Oh! Y—you scared me you jerk!" She hollered. "You came out of nowhere like a creep!"

Okay, that stings him a bit. He's not a creep, okay?

"I didn't do such a thing… you just didn't notice me walkin' towards you…" Glenn shook his head as he saw Olga's tense expression. "Chill out, will ya? You need to relax and stop being jumpy for a minute or two. You can't just slap people that comes at you like that."

"I can't do that, Glenn. I have to monitor everything that is necessary for our mission." Olga replied. "The resources needed for the Rayshift, the personnel who prepares the observation device, the Master Candidates who already here and the ones that were on their way… and I have to prepare the briefing for them as well. Every detail is vital, Glenn. Any miscalculation can mean fatal. I'm not going to be an incompetent Director that screws up everything on her first major task... I have to succeed no matter what it takes. This is my duty, Glenn. You won't get it. You couldn't even begin to understand how much responsibility I have to take for each one of them, their safety, their—"

"Olga. Please calm down."

She stopped ranting as Glenn put both his hand on Olga's shoulder and makes her face him directly.

"You are doin' well so far. But you have to rest before you overwork yourself. Just a short nap will be enough." He said, staring right into her eyes. "You can't do anythin' right if you keep this up… look, you have black circles under your eyes, your shoulders are stiff and you yell at absolutely everythin' that comes near you… don't do this to yourself, Olga. It's not good for you."

It takes few seconds for Olga to process the current situation in her brains. He was too close. His brilliant blue eyes was staring right at hers, it feels as if he was staring directly at her soul… also, his vibrant red hair… it seems fluffy and smooth, she wants to pat it—

_No, no! I have to focus! Not now, Olga!_

She slapped herself mentally.

"But… I can't allow any mistakes to be made right now! As a Director, I'm the only one who can do it!" Olga protested hotly, despite her face being beet red. "I will not slack on my duty whatsoever! As the head of Animusphere Family, I will make sure that everything's going as planned—"

"That's why I said you should rest up." Glenn spoke sternly, cutting her protest off. "With your condition, it's more likely for you to make mistakes. I bet you can't even think straight right now."

"But—"

"No buts, Olga. You will rest in your room until you get better." Glenn isn't having any of her bullshit. "Leave it to me, I'll take care of everythin'… with Mash and Dr. Roman's help, of course. Don't worry… we'll be okay without you for a few hours. Deal?"

…

There's no answer. Olga just fell silent. She was hesitant.

"I didn't hear your answer, Olga." He said, shaking her shoulders gently to rouse her up. "Come on, what do you say? I'll wake you up in few hours, I promise."

She was torn between relenting to his suggestion and keep being stubborn and push him away. Oddly enough for her, the former option sounds more tempting. The thought about laying on her bed and drift to a well-deserved sleep started to dominate her mind. She just needs one more confirmation…

"You… promise… you'll do… everything right?"

"Sure. I'll do everything right for you." Glenn nods almost immediately. "It'll be a piece of cake."

"… alright then. Deal."

In the end, she decided that she needs her sleep. Glenn lets go of her shoulders.

"Awesome!" A big smile appeared on Glenn's face, and for a second, Olga sees him as the giddy and adorable kid from years ago. "Thank you for thinkin' about yourself for once, Olga."

"I was thinking more about Chaldea's future if I died from overworking, though..."

"Don't say that. It won't happen as long as I'm here." Glenn says seriously. "Let's see… if I'm going to take over your place for a while, you should give me your communicator. Rep or whatever his name is, he'll contact us again, right?"

"It's Professor Lev for you, Glenn."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Come on, gimme that device."

"Fine, geez…"

She handed him the communicator.

"Don't break it, okay?" She says, pointing accusingly at Glenn's face. "It's an important device."

"Your lack of faith in me is disturbin', Olga." Glenn sighed as he pocketed the device. "I'll have you know that I'm good at technology… trust me!"

"Yeah, good at breaking them that is." Olga smirks.

"Keep thinkin' that, you'll be surprised later." Glenn smirks back, not provocated in the slightest. "As much as I want this interestin' conversation to continue, you have to get some rest and sleep… you can roast me anytime later."

"Okay, accepted. See you later then." Olga turns back and walks away from him… only to realize that he was following her, even walking beside her without hesitation.

"What are you doing?" She asks, stopping in her tracks. "What now?"

"I'm escortin' a fine young lady to her room." Glenn simply replies. "What's wrong with that?"

"I can go to my room by myself, you know. You don't have to babysit me." Olga retorts, slightly blushing. "Can't you go away…? People would get the wrong idea if you're going with me like this!"

"This is not babysittin'… this is escortin'! For your safety and all." Glenn shook his head, adamant. "And let them think of all the wrong ideas. It doesn't really matter does it?"

"It… it doesn't, yeah, but still…"

"Also I want to know where your room is so I can wake you up when it's time." Glenn added.

"Oh… that makes sense."

"Of course it does, woman. Now just shut the _fook_ up and let me escort you to your room." Glenn said.

"Okay, okay, geez…"

* * *

-**Tomorrow morning**-

"Top of the mornin' to you lady!"

Olga Marie Asmleit Animusphere wakes up from her slumber slowly.

"Wakey wakey, rise and shine! You have work to do, princess!"

Hearing that cheerful voice… it's almost like she was back on her time as a kid…

"Olgaaa~! Today's the big day! You can't be late!"

But she is not a morning person, unfortunately. Waking up early is not her thing… not in the past, not now, not ever. She prefers to sleep until—wait a minute.

_Is it morning already?! What the—_

She woke up immediately, getting up abruptly from her bed and lets herself crashing face-first onto the owner of the cheerful voice, and pin him to the floor, putting his body between her legs so he cannot move away. He was surprised, she can tell, but he didn't offer any resistance… which is odd for her.

"Glenn! I thought you'd let me sleep for just a few hours! Not a full day! What's the meaning of this?!" She says angrily, then she realizes something. "Oh, I see. This was your plan in the first place, isn't it?"

"Well, you're sleepin' like a log… so I figured I'd just let you sleep more…" Glenn said, not minding in the slightest that the young woman was straddling him. It feels quite nice, to be honest. "And yeah, it was my plan, Olga… I knew you're a heavy sleeper, so I thought you won't be awake until someone wakes you up… it turns out I was right! Just as planned!" He laughs uproariously.

"You jerk! This is not funny! What if something happens to Chaldea while I was gone sleeping?!"

"But nothin' happened, Olga. Chaldea is currently safe."

"Oh, is it really?" Olga asks sarcastically.

"Yeah, it really is." Glenn nods, seems to be utterly oblivious to her sarcasm.

"So you did your job well?"

"… yeah, I did. Sorta…"

Olga felt a sensation of utter dread.

* * *

-_Flashback-_

Two hours after Olga fell asleep, Glenn was walking on the hallway with Mash on his side. All of a sudden, his communicator rings.

"Temporary Director Glenn here. What is the problem?"

"We're having trouble adjusting the Spiritron Conversion Program, TRIMEGISTUS. Would you mind giving a look in the Adjustment Room?"

"… sure, yeah, be there soon."

The call ends. Glenn turns to Mash slowly.

"… Mash, what the _fook_ is a Spiritron Conversion Program TRIMEGISTUS?"

Mash simply give him a nervous laugh before explaining the term to Glenn as best as she can.

* * *

Four hours after Olga fell asleep… Glenn was just chilling in Dr. Roman's medical office as both two men snacks on cakes and cookies, when another call rings in.

"Yees?"

"Temporary Director, the Atlas Academy Mystic Code is here. You need to give them the Director's Seal of Approval and check them for faults and utility, as well as making sure that they are not replicas."

"… okay, I'm on my way."

As soon as the call ended, he turns to the good doctor, while chuckling nervously.

"Um, Doc, I don't have any idea about what the Atlas Academy Mystic Code is capable of… mind givin' me a quick rundown?"

The Doctor sweatdropped.

"Ahaha… sure, Glenn…"

"Please make it twenty words or less…"

* * *

Six hours after Olga fell asleep… Glenn was sitting on the chair in his own room, with Fou on the top of his head. Just as he thought he will get a moment of peace and quiet, his communication rings.

"Hello? Temporary Director?" The voice from the communicator spoke. "We need you to authorize the final check of systems CHALDEAS, SHEBA, and FATE. You are to command the specialists. Your presence is to be expected soon."

"Understood."

The call ends.

…

"Fou, from scale one to ten, how _fooked_ I am now?"

"Fou, fou fou! Foooouck…"

"Eleven outta ten?! Well, just kill me then…"

* * *

-_Present Time-_

"Well, I'm glad Dr. Roman bailed me out from trouble most of the times…" Glenn chuckled nervously, while Olga looks like she's on the verge of her short-tempered anger. Sure enough, she gave in shortly.

"I can't believe you! If you're having trouble, why didn't you just wake me up?!" She yells as she shakes Glenn by his collar repeatedly as if shaking a milkshake. "It's bad enough that you didn't even know what you're doing, but you're also assumed the position of Temporary Director! You should've given that position to Professor Lev!"

"Well, I was about to do that, actually…" Glenn saying, mostly unaffected by Olga's rough handling and is actually amused. She was still on top of him and doesn't seem to realize the implications if someone just happens to walk into the scene. "But Dr. Roman said I was better suited for the position and I should keep it until you wake up…"

"HE WHAT?!"

"Hey, don't blame the man, he's just doin' his job…"

"He's a medical officer! His job is to treat people, not give advice about how to do a Director's job!"

"Oh, I guess you're right…"

Glenn has to admit that she's right, but honestly he couldn't see what the problem with that. He's made friends with almost the entirety of the Chaldea Staff with a little help from Dr. Roman and Mash, so his troubles yesterday was worth it, in his opinion. The merrier the better, right?

"Don't 'oh, I guess you're right' me! This is a serious problem, you dunce!" Olga's voice was so shrill now that Glenn wouldn't be surprised that the whole Chaldea can hear her. "I cannot imagine if you ended up breaking all the devices and sabotaged the whole operation… Ahh, I don't know anymore!"

"But I didn't… at least everything's fine, thanks to everyone helping me…"

"You got lucky! Luck of The Irish! It's just your sheer dumb luck!" Olga spat her words, her face beet red with anger and embarrassment. If one looks at the corner of her eyes carefully, they would see a tear of frustration on them. "It might've worked this time, but I'm never going to trust you with this job again! Never again, you hear me?!"

She expected him to be a bit dejected at the very least, but he just shrugged nonchalantly.

"Meh, I guess it's fair enough. I'm not suitable for the job, I'll admit it."

"Why you—"

Olga was about to bombard the red-haired young man with various insults and derisive words, but luckily for Glenn, the door to Olga's room opened at that very moment, saving him just in time.

"Good morning, Glenn-senpai, Director Olga—eh?! What are you two doing?"

For a moment, Olga doesn't have a slightest clue why Mash stopped at her doorframe with such a shocked expression on her face. Wide eyes, open mouth… what was so surprising in her eyes? She haven't realized that she was still on top of Glenn, a very suggestive sight from the eyes of outsiders.

"Well, Mash. Let me explain… Olga here is just lackin' in restraint…" Glenn chose that moment to answer the purple-haired girl, smirking playfully. "I just woke her up nicely and she just pounced at me like a beast! She can't resist me I guess! I'm that awesome!"

Then the penny drops. At that moment, Olga just realized the situation they were in. Slowly but surely, her face becomes even redder as Glenn starts to smirk wider, wiggling his eyebrows. He knows that the volcano called Olga Marie Asmleit Animusphere will explode spectacularly, any moment now…

"GET THE _FUCK _OUT OF MY ROOM!"

Ah, he loves teasing her like this. Just like old times.

* * *

"So, Glenn-senpai, I want to ask something."

"Yeah, Mash? Go ahead."

After that little ruckus in Olga's room, Glenn was strolling around Chaldea leisurely with Mash on his side. Fou was sitting peacefully on top of Glenn's head, curling his body like a sleepy cat. Mash decided to start the conversation, since she wants to be more sociable and less awkward.

"The last two Master Candidates, what do you think of the kind of individuals are they?" She asks. "Since Director Olga asked us to welcome them, might as well prepare ourselves for it… the mission is just few hours away."

"Well… from what I've heard, one of them is a civilian and the other one is a Magus from Clock Tower…" Glenn puts one hand under his chin, thinking. "Naturally, we have to explain everythin' from scratch to the former… which is not my forte, but I'll try. The Magus one, in other hand… he's…" He frowned.

"Eh?" Mash tilted her head quizzically. "What's wrong with him?"

"He sounds like a creepy guy, not gonna lie. He was arrested on the airport because he harassed some women aboard…" Glenn shook his head. "… but that could be just a misunderstanding. He might actually be a swell guy, so let's hold our judgement until we meet him."

"Oh, I see… I understand."

"Remember, Mash. A stranger is just a friend you haven't met yet." Glenn smiled. "And you can never have too many friends. Let's make more friends today."

"Yes, of course!" Mash nodded enthusiastically.

"Fou." The white-feline creature suddenly called out from the top of Glenn's head. "Fou, fou."

"What is it, buddy?" Glenn looks up, as if understanding the creature's bizarre way of talking. "Oh? You saw someone coming? Ah, I heard it too, they'll be with us in a second—"

Then a young man with black hair clad in black formal suit and coat hastily ran towards them from an intersection, his pale face genuinely radiates pain and suffering. Glenn notices that he brought along a moderately-sized black briefcase and a customized backpack with him. They look heavy.

"Excuse me, sir, miss?!" He asked them loudly. "I'm sorry for being rude, but please can you tell me where's the toilet in this place?! I, uh, am having a serious problem right now!"

"Sure, go this way, and this way, turn left and then go straight. You'll find it there." Glenn answered.

"Much appreciated, sir! Now excuse me!"

They watched as the young man dragged himself away with his belongings, clutching his stomach as he did so.

_Poor guy…_

"I guess we found our Magus right there." Glenn shrugged. "Speak of the devil, I suppose…"

"Oh, he's the one?" Mash asked, looking a bit surprised. "How do you know, Glenn-senpai?"

"Yeah, I just guessed since he's unfamiliar with this place..." Glenn hummed. "… and he brought some things with him, which means he's prepared for the mission. That could only mean the Magus…"

"I see… he looks like he's in pain, though…" Mash commented. "… should we check?"

"Eh, I think he just ate something weird, nothing to worry about. He'll be fine."

"If you say so…" Mash doesn't look so sure.

"I get it, you're worried about him, but we gotta go welcome the civilian too." Glenn sighs. "She must be really confused, being a stranger to the world of magus and everything… ah, what I'm saying is you have to help me explain things to her, Mash… giving and being given exposition just aren't my thing…"

"Oh, I see." That brightens Mash's expression. "Let me help you with that, then!" She giggled.

They walked some more on the halls of Chaldea, searching for any clueless-looking individual wherever they went, but their search got no results. They continued on, even searching the empty rooms in the very large facilities of Chaldea… however, they found the person of interest just laying unconscious…

In the front of Entrance of Chaldea, just behind the gates. Meaning, whoever brought her here simply didn't bother to put her in a more appropriate place. She was a young female with deep auburn hair, wearing a standard white Chaldea Uniform and a brown briefcase on her side…

"Welp, this is awkward." Glenn rubbed the back of his head. "And this is clearly a kidnapping…"

"What do we do, Glenn-senpai?" Mash asked nervously. "Should we wake her up? Or should we wait—"

Just as she said that, Fou hopped down from Glenn's head and gently approached the young woman's unconscious body. He poked her face in a friendly manner and rubbed its soft fur against her cheeks. Rinse and repeat until finally the young woman stirs. She groaned lazily as Fou skipped away.

"Uuuhhh… what is that creature?" she mumbles. "… just where am I? What happened? Uuuuuuhhh?"

_Okay, time to step in._

"Hello! Top of the morning to you lady!" Glenn started, saying his catchphrase smoothly. "And welcome to Chaldea!"

The young woman looks utterly lost, looking at him with blank stare and clueless expression.

"… what?" She tilted her head in confused. "Who are you?"

"Ah, I'm sure you have so many questions…" Glenn said. "But can we have your name first?"

"Okay, I guess… uh, hold up…" The young woman shook her head vigorously, as if having trouble remembering her own name.

They waited until the young woman collected her thoughts.

"Oh yeah... My name is… Ritsuka Fujimaru."

* * *

**Thank you guys so much for reading this chapter!**

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**Mugen no Tenma, out!**


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